The invention relates to a germinating unit for germination of seeds and comprising two paper layers and at least one seed placed therebetween.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,599 discloses a cultivation xe2x80x9cballxe2x80x9d formed by an elongated sleeve containing a substrate-containing filler. The sleeve encapsulates a seed or a plant and comprises at least one wall separating the plant from the substrate. The sleeve is made of a material impenetrable by the roots of the plant. The cultivation xe2x80x9cballxe2x80x9d is produced in the following manner. A growth substrate is applied onto a first corrugated length of the wall material whereafter a second length of material is placed on top of the first length. Then the resulting tape is folded about its longitudinal axis whereby coherent cultivation xe2x80x9cballsxe2x80x9d are formed. Each cultivation xe2x80x9cballxe2x80x9d comprises four cavities containing the growth substrate, and a plant or a seed is placed between said four cavities. When the cultivation xe2x80x9cballxe2x80x9d is too large per see, it is possible to transversely cut said ball with the result that two small cultivation xe2x80x9cballsxe2x80x9d are formed.
This cultivation xe2x80x9cballxe2x80x9d is encumbered with the draw-back that it is not suited for germination of seeds, and in addition the ball is very complicated and consequently very expensive to produce.
The object of the invention is to provide a germinating unit of the above type which is simple and inexpensive to produce, which furthermore is particularly suited for a controlled germination of the plant seed, and which after a completed germination is suited for being mechanically bedded out in the soil at a desired interval and a desired depth as well.
The term xe2x80x9cseedxe2x80x9d is in this connection to be construed as covering not only natural seeds, but also growth-suited parts of plants, such as meristems or the like parts.
The germinating unit according to the invention is characterised in the features stated in the characterising part of claim 1. The resulting germinating unit can be produced in a particularly simple and cost-saving manner. In addition, the germination can be efficiently controlled, and it is easy to mechanically bed out the germinating units in the soil at desired intervals and at a desired depth. Moreover the germinating unit is environmentally acceptable.
The paper may according to the invention be of a weight not exceeding 50 g/m2, preferably below 20 g/m2. The paper can for instance be kraft paper. In this manner the germinating unit can be produced at a low price and be provided with a suitable strength.
According to the invention the micropores of the paper have been made by means of needles with a thickness of 0.15 to 0.30 mm. As a result air can easily reach the seed and the roots of the plant both before and during the germination of said seed, as well as during the continued growth of said seed.
The carrier in the germinating unit may according to the invention be vermiculite, perlite, zeolite, cellulose materials, such as oat bran, wheat bran, wood fibres, sphagnum, burned clay, rockwool or mixtures thereof.
According to the invention the additives may comprise one or more substances within: pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides, especially systemic insecticides, fungicides, virae and cultures of bacteria, cultures of fungi, such as Trichoderma, fungus spores, microencapsulated fungicides, eggs from useful insects, such as predatory nematodes, fertilizers, hormones, enzymes, pH-adjusting substances, carbon, clay particles, trace elements, such as molybdenum, wood fibres or wood powder, kieselguhr, surfactants, water-absorbing substances, such as superabsorbing polymer (SAP), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMD), silica and other additives with favourable effects on the germination and the growth of the plants, where several substances are available in microencapsulated form which provides the highest protection against biodegradation.
As the germinating unit comprises water-absorbing substances, it can contain more water than hitherto known at the same time as the seeds and the roots do not drown in water, but are surrounded by air almost saturated with vapour. The water reserve applies as balls or crystals of the water-absorbing substance with water and is released to the roots in response to the osmotic pressure, viz. the ratio of the salt concentration in the roots to the salt concentration outside said roots. The combination of the carrier and the additives and the binding of the latter to the carrier as well as their position relative to the seed render it possible to ensure optimum conditions for the germination of the seed and for the continued growth of the plant.
According to the invention the binder may comprise polyvinyl alcohol or polyethylene glycol or another plant-compatible binder, such as water or water containing a polysaccharide. The latter turned out to be particularly advantageous in practice because for instance the polysaccharide is able to simultaneously act as a nutrient absorbed into some of the added cultures.
Furthermore according to the invention one or more of the additives may be placed locally in areas of the germinating unit, especially by way of spraying in liquid state or by way of being put down in form of granules or powder, some of said areas of the germinating unit being positioned at a large distance from the seed with the effect that the concentration of the additives reaching said seed can be kept at a low level.
According to the invention a magnetic material, such as barium ferrite, iron fillings or iron wire, may be embedded in a rim portion of the germinating unit. When many germinating units are involved, and when these germinating units are randomly positioned, it is very easy to turn all these germinating units by means of a magnet owing to the magnetic material and thereby to orient them in the same direction.
According to the invention the material layers of the germinating unit may be easily penetrable by the roots and the top of the germinating plant, for instance by being provided with a plurality of holes or cuts, especially slots, whereby the roots and the top can grow through said holes or cuts. In this manner it is particularly easy for the roots and the top of the plant to penetrate through the germinating unit irrespective of the orientation of said germinating unit.
The holes or cuts, especially the slots may according to the invention preferably be of a diameter of 3 to 10 mm, be substantially circular or crescent-shaped, and be placed according to a regular pattern in the material layers. In this manner it is particularly easy for the roots and the top of the plant to find their way out of the germinating unit irrespective of the orientation of said germinating unit.
An embodiment of the germinating unit is characterised in the features stated in the characterising part of claim 12. Such a germinating tape renders it possible, if desired, to separate the germinating units from the tape one by one, which proved particularly advantageous when it is desired to bed out the germinating units one by one.
Another embodiment of the germinating unit of the invention is characterised by the features stated in the characterising part of claim 13. As a result the germinating tape can be used for bedding out coherent tape-shaped germinating units containing germinated seeds of plants presenting highly differing requirements to the distance between the plants.
According to the invention the germinating unit may continue directly into the neighbouring units, and the transition between two succeeding germinating units may be provided with one or more cuts or weakening lines, such as arrow-shaped cuts or weakening lines with interruptions in said cuts or weakening lines, whereby magnetic, optionally current-carrying wires may extend through said interruptions. Such a germinating tape can for instance be used for bedding out the germinating units separately by means of a bedding machine where the germinating units are torn off the tape during the bedding out. These wires in the tape can be used by a sorting process for determining regularities in the germination.
The invention relates also to a method of producing germinating units as stated in the characterising part of claim 15.
This method turned out to be particularly advantageous for ensuring a reliable packing of the seeds and the mixture in a closed germinating unit in such a manner that they do not fall out of said germinating unit.
A further particularly simple embodiment of the method according to the invention is characterised in that the interconnected lengths of paper are longitudinally cut between the rows of seeds and optionally also transversely cut between said seeds, whereby germinating tapes or separate germinating units are provided.
The invention relates furthermore to an assembly for carrying out the method according to the invention, and this assembly is characterised in the features stated in the characterising part of claim 17.
This assembly turned out to be particularly efficient for carrying out the method according to the invention.
Moreover, an additional station may according to the invention be coupled between the dispensing station for the mixture and the joining station, said additional station dispensing additives locally to the areas of each germinating unit. As a result the seed can, if desired, be kept at a distance from the additives for a predetermined period.
The assembly may according to the invention comprise a packing station adapted to pack the germinating units or the germinating tapes preferably in such a manner that said package is shrunk about said germinating units or said germinating tapes, or such that said package, such as a cardboard box, is adapted to receive a plurality of layers of the germinating units or the germinating tapes, said package optionally comprising separating sheets between the layers. In this manner it is possible in an easy manner to handle a large portion of germinating units or germinating tapes and furthermore to ensure that said germinating units or germinating tapes take up minimum room in storage and in transit prior to the germination. When the package is a plastic bag, the germinating units can be kept free of moisture.
The assembly may be formed as stated in the characterising part of claim 20. Finally the assembly may be formed as stated in the characterising part of claim 21.